EDS offers half UK workforce voluntary redundancy

IT services firm EDS has offered voluntary redundancy to about half of its UK staff, it has emerged.

According to an internal e-mail, EDS staff at Applications and Information Technology Outsourcing, who make up about half of the company’s workforce in the UK, have until 23 May to apply for voluntary redundancy.

A spokeswoman for EDS confirmed that the e-mail, which was leaked to IT news website The Register, had gone out on Wednesday.

She said: “We are looking to cut about 100 jobs from Applications and the same from ITO.”

Not all applications will necessarily be accepted. EDS employees who are over 50 years old will in effect be applying for early retirement but will have their applications considered in the same way.

If an application is accepted, EDS will provide a quote of redundancy, or early retirement, settlement on 16 June.

Affected staff will then have until 24 June to confirm their departure before leaving the company 29 June.